How many Ireland caps does Jack Grealish have?
JACK Grealish is back in the Three Lions squad after missing out on a spot at Euro 2024.
But he wasn’t always an England player, having come up through the youth ranks in Ireland.
When did Jack Grealish play for the Republic for Ireland?
Birmingham-born Jack Grealish‘s rise to England‘s senior set-up took a five-year detour through the Republic of Ireland.
In 2010, 14-year-old Grealish was sent home from an England Under-15 training camp after he fell ill and fainted.
Following this disappointment, scout Mark O’Toole alerted Ireland to his grandfather’s Galway heritage after watching him play at the Nike Premier Cup.
It paid off as Grealish went on to earn caps with the U15s in a green shirt — but England was still interested in the youngster and made contact a year later.
Former Three Lions U17 coach John Peacock said: “Myself and U16 head coach Kenny Swain had several discussions with him about switching back but he was undecided.”
Grealish was veering towards Ireland, but doubts appeared when he was left out of the U21 squad in October 2012.
This encouraged another offer from the Three Lions, with Ireland U21 coach Noel King revealing in May 2013 that Grealish’s eye was wandering to England.
But the FAI refused to back down, having already lost defender Michael Keane to England in a similar situation.
King acted three months later by giving 17-year-old Grealish one of the youngest ever caps at U21 level, making his debut as a sub against the Faroe Islands.
Paul Lambert was appointed Aston Villa manager — Grealish’s club at the time — in June 2012, but it was not until late 2014 that he saw international dilemma reach boiling point.
‘Fake Paddy’ slurs were thrown at Grealish during matches, and he was on the wrong end of loaded remarks made by assistant Ireland coach Roy Keane.
This turbulence led to England U21 boss Gareth Southgate admitting to trying to get the midfielder back in an England shirt in October 2012.
Within days of this, he pulled out of an Irish U21 game against Norway to play in a friendly for Villa, before then distancing himself from a senior international debut.
Villa boss Lambert was already in Grealish’s bad books after warning the club against giving him a bumper new contract, afraid of the trappings of fame, which he described as ‘nightclubs, alcohol and girlfriends’.
But his player’s national identity was also proving to be a tense issue.
He said: “I had Jack in the office several times for a good telling off, one in particular for not turning up to training.
“Then the Irish thing came up. He seemed pretty torn. I didn’t want him to make the wrong decision.
[Jack] realised he had a serious choice to make
Tim Sherwood
“You have to be comfortable playing for an international side. All I was saying was ‘watch yourself’.
“He might turn around today and say ‘Paul Lambert was a real s**t’ or may understand. I thought he had too much on his plate too soon.
“I was trying to guide him. I hope he sees that now.”
Fast forward to March 2015, and Tim Sherwood was in the Villa hot-seat.
But Grealish still hadn’t made his choice between England and Ireland, with things made even more confusing when he won the Ireland U21 Player of the Year award in Dublin.
Sherwood said: “I think that night was when it really all started for him. He realised he had a serious choice to make.”
Sherwood tried to guide Grealish, telling the youngster: “Don’t choose Ireland just because you think you will get into the team quicker.
“You have a long career ahead of you to make it for England.”
When he picked up the award, Grealish said he took a year out of internationals to concentrate on club football, promised he would play for Ireland again soon.
But two months later he turned down another call-up, this time for a friendly against England and a Euro qualifier against Scotland, following a chat with Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson.
On October 28, 2015, Grealish finally told Ireland boss Martin O’Neill he’d made the decision to represent England at senior level.
Sherwood added: “If you have a player who is head and shoulders above most of your squad, you will fight hard to recruit him.
“In the end, he chose England. He made the decision to wait, even if his performances were already befitting of an international player.”
How many Ireland caps does Jack Grealish have?
Grealish made his debut for the Republic of Ireland U17s in October 2011 when he was 16 years old.
He went on to earn seven caps at that level and score three goals.
The midfielder won six caps for the U18s, scoring twice.
And in August 2013, while he was still 17, Grealish played for the Irish U21s for the first time, going on to achieve six caps at the level and score one goal.
So in total, the Man City ace has 19 caps for Ireland and scored six goals.
So when England line up against the Irish in the Nations League on Saturday, September 7, 2024 in Dublin, it wouldn’t be surprising if Grealish receives somewhat of a hostile reception.